The reality of working with other people is that everyone makes mistakes. This is especially true for a carpenter, because errors made in both the office and the field affect the whole crew. Here are a few tips on dealing with these events:
- Remember that the whole process — sales, estimating, and production — is a team effort.
- Everyone’s compensation is tied together. In most companies, the salesperson receives commission based on the gross profit of a job. In many cases, the lead carpenter receives a bonus based on the profit, too.
- Mistakes and poor working habits need to be addressed when they occur. Communicating mistakes to the production crew helps them maintain or increase job efficiency. Also, information and feedback from production helps salespeople refine their processes.
- Maintain a positive attitude. A mistake can be a learning tool.
It can lead to a company-wide meeting to discuss jobsite and office-to-site communication. —Tim Faller, Field Training Services, www.leadcarpenter.com.